


A Shred of Truth

by ganzvielliebe



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Gen, Hugs, Rumours, larry stylinson - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-13
Updated: 2012-08-13
Packaged: 2017-11-12 01:47:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/485300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ganzvielliebe/pseuds/ganzvielliebe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“This Larry Stylinson crap…. it’s not funny anymore.” […] “Why do you even give a damn?” - edited 20/8/12!</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Shred of Truth

**Author's Note:**

> Beta: aisyah, Alsarnia (best beta editing ever!)  
> Disclaimer: Nothing is true. I do not know any of the mentioned characters.

 

"This Larry Stylinson crap.... it's not funny anymore."

They are in Harry's flat, Louis, obviously, reading some tweets while Harry is taking care of their dinner. It's not exactly the kind of conversation Harry had hoped for when he invited Louis over for dinner. He had thought of something easier, something casual, something fun.

"They are ruining my relationship." The muttered words are directed to the phone screen.

  


 

Harry wants to roll his eyes. He can't quite see why Louis makes such a fuss about it. Although, fretting about it wouldn't be a problem, but Louis seems outright terrified that people believe they are a couple. The consequences are that he has distanced himself from Harry - in public even more than privately. There used to be hugs, lovebites and flirty remarks. Completely at ease. Now, they rarely even sit next to each other during interviews, thanks to Louis's paranoia. If they do Louis shies away from any kind of touch, ease turning to tension.

" _You'_ re the one ruining a relationship."

The statement isn't supposed to sound as harsh as it does, but Harry can't help it. Annoyance, incomprehension, and the bitter urge to give Louis a guilty conscience.

  


 

Louis doesn't reply immediately. "We aren't talking about the same relationship, are we?" He looks down to the ground with slouched shoulders. Apparently, Harry's statement doesn't need further explanation.

Harry sighs. Giving Louis a guilty conscience makes him feel bad. He just can't handle a sad Louis. Even less if he's the reason. However, he knows that it's too late to back off from the topic now, too late to take back the words. And maybe this discussion will solve whatever problem Louis has.

  


 

A more gentle tone is forced on his voice. "No, Lou, we aren't." He turns his back to Louis to stir the sauce before it gets burned.

"Look, I'm sorry, but if we stop being that - handsy in public..."

 _These excuses – ridiculous, pathetic. What the fuck?_ Harry gives up the effort to remain calm.

"Then what? They stop writing about it?!” A sarcastic laugh. “Why do you even give a damn?"

"Why don't you?" Louis has stood up facing Harry; hurt and confusion plastered on his face.

Harry knows that yelling at Louis won't make things easier. However, he wants – needs – Louis to understand him, to understand that Louis is overreacting and he wants to know the reason for it. Gathering his thoughts, Harry tries to form words, phrases, arguments.

"'Cos it's not a big deal. Most of them aren't even serious about us being a couple. And it's not really as if it matters what they say.” Which is not entirely true, because their success, their lives, depend on their fans. Harry knows that. They both know that. “When a hot, 30-year-old woman wants to have sex with me, I won't decline. When I want to flirt with ...” He's looking for a name, for someone, to make his point clear. “... Niall, I can do that. And when I feel like hugging you - in public or not - I don't see why I should care what anyone thinks. So why do you?"

This is actually what Harry has been wondering for quite a while. Louis is usually such a carefree person; he likes to have fun, doesn't take things too seriously. Hell, _he_ 's the one who jokes about all kinds of weird rumours. When the fangirls came up with "Larry Stylinson", though, Louis had been uncommonly uncomfortable with the issue. Harry had never questioned it; not until Louis had begun taking it too far, putting more and more distance between them.

  


For a couple of moments, neither of them say anything until Louis breaks the silence. "Have you ever considered that what they say might be true?" His voice – strangely neutral. His gaze holds Harry's for a second before it is lost somewhere in the wall.

"What do you mean? Last time I checked, we weren't fucking." Harry's confusion is on a level of “are-we-even-speaking-the-same-language”.

Louis lets out a weak chuckle. "Yeah, thanks, I'm aware of that. I didn't mean that in particular."

"Then what, Lou?" Almost pleading his friend to explain it to him.

A pause. Harry waits apprehensively.

Louis always answers, always talks. The fact that he is not now is concerning. His thoughts are drowning in a swirl of chaos with a spray of suspicion. With just a tiny hint of curiosity.

  


 

"C'mon, spill it." He eyes Louis closely, takes in the insecurity and frailty radiating from his friend. Instantly, he feels sorry for cornering Louis like this. He's almost about to take it back when Louis answers.

"What would you say... if they were right about me... being gay?"

 _What_?

"What?"

A wave of thoughts hits Harry - almost drowning him _._ How? When? Why? A slap of emotions. Shock, embarrassment, anger, pity, guilt. Memories of them cuddling, kissing, of Louis commenting on a girl's looks, of gay jokes. Comparisons between the behaviour of friends and lovers. Remembering accusations of being gay. Wondering how he couldn't have seen it.

  


 

"You aren't like... disgusted, are you?"

Harry wants to hit Louis – and then himself, because he shouldn't have to ask this. Quickly, he closes the space between them to put his arms around Louis, feeling bad once again when he realises that Louis is shaking. Louis doesn't hesitate to hold onto Harry tightly. For a moment, Harry's thoughts are clear.

"Never think I'd be disgusted, alright?" He whispers.

Harry breathes in Louis's scent, ignores how the hair tickles on his skin while Louis buries his head in the crook of Harry's neck. The familiarity of the embrace, of the warmth, calms both of them.

Harry caresses Louis's back until he can feel the shaking subside. After a last stroke, he lets go glancing awkwardly at Louis, who grins at him in a way that he hasn't for quite a while.

  


 

“Okay, Styles. I can see a thousand questions under those curls. Go ahead!”

Harry tries to find his way through the mess of questions in his head, rating them as “Important. Answer needed now”, “Will be asked later”, and “Why am I even thinking about that?”.

Deciding on one of the major questions he asks, “Why didn't you tell us?”.

“I wanted to, very early actually, when we were in the bungalow for example. But not telling became easier each day. I mean, I kind of knew that none of you would be homophobe or anything but do you know how easy it is to have doubts about things you're certain of?” He pauses for a few seconds. “Plus, I didn't want to spoil how comfortable we were with each other...”

Processing the words, Harry doesn't know whether he thinks that it's rubbish or whether they actually make sense, but from the look on Louis's face he can tell that Louis genuinely believes it.

"What about Eleanor then?" This is actually one of the “Will be asked later” questions.

"I met her, I liked her. I convinced myself that this is a good idea. She knows that I have been in relationships with guys before. She just doesn't know those were my few serious relationships... regarding feelings." Surprisingly, he says all that in a matter-of-fact-way. On the other hand, Louis has never had a problem with talking even about intimate things.

"So... basically, you sleep with both women and men, but you fall in love with guys."

Spoken out loud, it doesn't sound as strange as in Harry's head. Considering it, it's actually rather logical. Getting off can't be such a problem, can it? Just falling in love is something you can't influence that much.

"Got it."

"Ooooookay." Harry grins sheepishly. “Is it too early to call you slut?”

Louis tackles him, pinching his nipples. 

Sounds of laughter and an “ouch” can be heard while the sauce boils over.

**Author's Note:**

> This story does not reflect my actual thoughts on the whole issue.


End file.
